The Impact of Time Perspective Latent Profiles on College Drinking: A Multidimensional Approach

Abstract

Background: Zimbardo and Boyd's¹ time perspective, or the temporal framework individuals use to process information, has been shown to predict health behaviors such as alcohol use. Previous studies supported the predictive validity of individual dimensions of time perspective, with some dimensions acting as protective factors and others as risk factors. However, some studies produced findings contrary to the general body of literature. In addition, time perspective is a multidimensional construct, and the combination of perspectives may be more predictive than individual dimensions in isolation; consequently, multidimensional profiles are a more accurate measure of individual differences and more appropriate for predicting health behaviors. Objectives: The current study identified naturally occurring profiles of time perspective and examined their association with risky alcohol use. Methods: Data were collected from a college student sample (n = 431, mean age = 20.41 years) using an online survey. Time perspective profiles were identified using latent profile analysis. Results: Bootstrapped regression models identified a protective class that engaged in significantly less overall drinking (β = −0.254) as well as engaging in significantly less episodic high risk drinking (β = −0.274). There was also emerging evidence of a high risk time perspective profile that was linked to more overall drinking (β = 0.198) and engaging in more high risk drinking (β = 0.245), though these differences were not significant. Conclusions/Importance: These findings support examining time perspective in a multidimensional framework rather than individual dimensions in isolation. Implications include identifying students most in need of interventions, and tailoring interventions to target temporal framing in decision-making.

Keywords :

• alcohol
• college drinking
• time perspective
• latent profile analysis

THE AUTHORS

Abby L. Braitman, PhD, is in the department of psychology at Old Dominion University. Her research explores the etiology of college student drinking, with a focus on developing techniques to strengthen and extend the effects of interventions directed at harm reduction. She is also interested in the application of quantitative methods and approaches for risky health behaviors.

James M. Henson, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Old Dominion University. A quantitative psychologist by training, he's been focusing his applied research program on college drinking intervention for the past 10 years. His research involves the application of advanced statistical models to alcohol intervention and prevention data among college populations.

GLOSSARY

• Future time perspective: A focus on the future and planning toward goals.

• Latent profile analysis: A form of analysis that assumes an underlying categorical construct which explains participants’ responses to observed indicators. It identifies classes of individuals that minimize within-class variability on observed variables while maximizing between-class differences, resulting in different profiles across observed indicators.

• Present-fatalistic time perspective: A defeatist, helpless view toward life.

• Present-hedonistic time perspective: A risk-taking, pleasure-devoted view of life.

• Past-negative time perspective: An unpleasant or unfavorable view of the past.

• Past-positive time perspective: A sentimental, nostalgic view toward the past.

• Time perspective: The temporal framework individuals use to process information. It consists of five facets, and can influence the perception, encoding, storage, and retrieval of experiences and information as well as decisions, actions, and goals.